Find Me
by xxDaxelnaraxx
Summary: Even after his gold-eyed friend's death, Silver could still see him, even when no one else could. That didn't mean that he wouldn't have to choose between his past with him and his future with her.  SilverxLyra
1. Prologue

**AUTHOR'S NOTESS~****

**Ok, so I finished tweaking the other chapters, so everything should be somewhat less confusing -_-'' Umm, but I can't seperate the little scenes in the story, sooo...they're kind of separated by a HUGE space :) Good luck on figuring THAT out :D**

**~Alex~**

* * *

Freedom.

It was so close, the taste already on his lips, the feeling already rushing through his cold veins. And all the while, a stagnant expression remained on his face as he scoffed at all his bawling peers before him. Grey, seemingly cold eyes scanned the giant crowd filled with memories that the boy didn't, and so desperately wanted, to forget.

And had it not been for the fellow raven-haired classmate next to him, cutting him out of his solemn trance, the red-haired boy would have glanced across the auditorium hall at her bright chocolate eyes, having her look downwards, flushed, with a pink tint adorning her cheeks.

_Silver~!_

At the ear-splitting sound of his "friend's" voice, said boy's distant, clear eyes returned to their usual hard selves as he closed his eyes, attempting at ridding his head of the name that lingered there. Opening his eyes, he could only stare at the boy with the honeydew eyes, smiling, grinning, like he won the jackpot.

_Aww, don't go cryin' on me now, tough guy! I'm not THAT annoying._

Was it that the unexpected glimmer in his grey eyes was mistaken for sadness? When would his gold-eyed friend ever learn that he would never cry, be vulnerable? When would he learn that it was _weak_?

_Okay, seriously, don't even think about crying. I'll visit every week! _

Inwardly, the other boy shivered at the throught.

And yet, the red-haired boy couldn't help but wonder why he couldn't be as free-spirited as his companion, with a heart of gold. While silver eyes looked down on the petty emotions of graduating classmates, honeydew eyes laughed at their sight. And as the eager heart looked forward to the impending future, his tainted soul couldn't break free from the past.

But without his heart of gold, the boy realized, his soul of silver was nothing. For as his closest friend, the raven-haired boy had begun to break down the walls of the past that, for so many years, he'd built up. As his closest friend, he realized that without him, he was alone.

One by one, every graduating student stood on stage, accepting what they'd waited for, earned, throughout these four years. Some would smile, others would cry as they looked out to thank their parents, teachers, friends.

To him, the roll in his hands was nothing. Seeing others embrace their parents while he had none stung, but only for a moment. Knowing that he didn't know what to do with his life failed to affect him at all.

What hurt the most was the fact that as he saw his closest companion cheering him on like an idiot. It almost pained him when his eyes fell upon the shy, little, pig-tailed brunette that he saw only three or four times, and suddenly felt embarrassed. But what killed him the most was the fact that they'd be gone. Eventually, they would become nothing but distant memories, and later, they would disappear.

Unlike everyone else, he would remain in the past.

Even choking back a sob couldn't stop the tears.

It couldn't stop the sudden pain in his heart.

And although tears flowed from his face, he almost felt happy. Whether it was out of insanity or not, he didn't know.

And for the first time that day, Gold heard a chuckle, and he grinned even more than he already had been; idiot wasn't even fit to describe the sight.

The red-haired boy couldn't help himself, knowing that he'd be moving on without the people he learned to love. Without them, he felt empty and cold all over again.

And yet, no one else realized that the laugh that came from his lips was just a cover.

And no one else knew that as Silver's laughter filled the air, the shy yet bubbly brunette flushed at the sound of it.

Because of them, that boy felt free.


	2. Hide

As soon as the gown left his body, he fully intended on burning it. Watching it burst into flames before his eyes seemed so tempting. And why not? No one was actually waiting to scold him for such a thought. On the other hand, nobody was waiting to congratulate him for his scholastic efforts.

And if you thought that Gold would be there, then you thought wrong. Although his heart was solid, his mind was different. He'd be there besides his silver-eyed "brother" when he needed help, but that didn't mean school was his top priority. And although he'd be the only one that Silver really remembered after today, he knew that even then, a close friend wasn't always reliable. One day, they'd leave you too.

"Dude, stop spacing out so much."

So much had happened in the four years of high school that were supposed to be the best.

"Oh hey! You're going to that party, right?"

Party, party…..party? As soon as his trance had begun, it left, at the sound of a party. When in the world did anyone ever mention a _party_? Curiously looking to his companion, Silver just stared, his eyes asking for him, pulling out an answer and a chuckle from Gold's mouth.

"Geez, you need to let go…" Gold always told him that. "Your last day as a high school boy and you don't know how to celebrate?" The silence that followed only encouraged the gold-eyed boy more. With the shake of his head, he grabbed the solemn boy by the arm and paraded towards his home, now in view; meanwhile, he seemed completely oblivious of the obvious scene he was making.

It wasn't that Silver didn't want to go. Honestly, he didn't mind talking and reminding himself of who attended school with him for the past four years. There were a lot of decent people he was aware of; two boys, Red and Green, acted as other, not-as-close-as-Gold brothers to him; their plan once high school ended was to climb the highest mountain, which lied in between the two adjacent regions. In short, they planned on breaking a world record.

A girl named Blue acted as an unofficial sister-figure. Even outside from school, she made sure that Silver was alright; basically, she saved him from utter self-inflicted pain. Although not entirely sure, her plan for life was to travel; she wanted to see as much of the world as she could because, in her case, she wasn't "getting any younger".

And as Silver sat on his friend's bed, reminiscing, Gold popped out of the bathroom in his signature red and white hoodie, paired with black shorts. This time, he decided against wearing his black and white cap, letting his wild black hair take its natural shape for all to see. "Now," he shouted, "I'm ready to par-tay~!"

Silver, in the meantime, argued about Gold's attire, stating that it was too casual for an end of the year party.

"Besides, how many times have you worn that outfit this month?"

With a shrug, Gold scoffed. "Oh, please. How many times have you worn _THAT _outfit?" And Silver didn't even bother to look down; he, too, was wearing his normal outfit, consisting of a black and red sweater, along with jeans. "…Your point?"

Glancing at the giant clock on his bedroom wall, Gold flinched. With the party beginning at ten, he was surprised to see that the big hand was getting dangerously close to nine thirty-five. "My point is that you're being an ass about nothing. That, and that you'll be driving us tonight, my friend."

At this point in time, Silver had managed to learn how to tune out his friend's constant talking, for he somehow continued to babble on about useless matters. But as soon as he heard that a task he wasn't too fond of doing was placed on his shoulders, the red-haired boy couldn't help but glare at the boy. "_What?"_

"You're an ass-"

"The second part, stupid."

Running a hand through his unmanageable hair, Gold sighed. "I don't feel like driving. I, Gold, hereby entrust you with the task of getting us to that party!"

Silence.

"Please?"

Rolling his eyes, the now-annoyed red-haired teen stood up, stretching his back. "Fine, but just as long as you change that annoying outfit." Gold only laughed.

"Only if you change yours, too.

* * *

"So you're not going to visit the old high school at least _once_ in a while?"

"Honestly, until Ruby graduates next year, that'll be a definite no."

With the radio blasting to at least one of the two boy's favorite station, Gold laughed at Silver's dislike for the junior boy they only knew as Ruby. Silver, finally convinced by Gold to drive faster because of their lack of time, weaved in and out of the traffic ahead of him, while amusing his companion with answers to his unusual and, somewhat degrading, questions. "So at least I finally know you weren't too fond of him."

Silver shrugged, eyes never leaving the road ahead. "Why would I like a guy who's more of a girl than his own girlfriend?" And although Silver didn't dare glance at the passenger seat, Gold nodded in agreement. After that, the music of the radio filled the following silence of the car.

Silence; it was good to have that once in a while, Silver told himself, especially when a certain boy next to him didn't know when to shut up. But he supposed that without Gold, his life would be pretty quiet, boring. But of course, he'd never admit that.

"Silver?"

So much for silence. "What?"

Although Silver couldn't take notice of Gold at the moment, he could still sense that rare hesitance in his voice as he spoke. "..W-We're friends, right?" Silver deadpanned.

"Gold, why else do you think I've been putting up with you for the past…eight years?" Said boy shrugged sheepishly with a chuckle.

"I dunno, maybe the fact that you talk trash about everyone else makes me unsure. Call me crazy or whatever, but I actually thought you wouldn't talk to me after graduation." Hearing this, Silver was _strongly_ tempted to call him crazy.

"I already promised that we'd meet up every week or two. I may not seem like it, but I haven't broken a promise." His grey eyes flickered to his friend, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"EVER?"

"No, never, geez." And Gold grinned that stupid grin again.

"Aww, Silver's gonna miss me! Silver's gonna miss me!" Ignoring the subtle swaying of the car, the crazed raven-haired boy began to playfully elbow his red-haired friend, who cringed at the intensity of each blow.

"Gold-"

"Miss me, miss me, Silver's gonna miss me~!"

"Gold, stop! I'm driving-!" His hands lost grip of the steering wheel as Gold poked him in the side.

"I love you too, man!-"

"GOLD, I'M DRIVING!"

And his hands firmly gripped the wheel again, stopping at the red light in front of them. Silver sighed, his grey eyes sternly looking ahead, not wanting to see Gold's expression now. However, looking to the side, he flinched at the sight of his usually spunky friend looking straight ahead, gold eyes now amber because of the bright red stoplight ahead of them. Pondering, his eyebrows now furrowed, Silver scoffed.

Just as the light turned green, a now-silent Gold received an intense whack in the head.

"Mother f- WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Silver could only smirk.

"Yeah, I'll miss you." And Gold could only grin.

Within minutes of reaching the party site, Silver drove into the left turning lane, about to turn into the street of the home where the big event was to take place. The incoming traffic forced him to wait to turn, leaving the two in an awkward silence. Well, at least for a few seconds.

"So…", Gold asked, not missing a beat, "you'll probably miss me, but what do you think about that Lyra girl?"

Why was it so hot in here?

"W-What?"

"Aww, is that a blush I see?"

But the AC was to the max…

"N-no, it's just really hot in here…"

"You like her! I knew it! I knew it!"

Why was that light so damn bright?

"I knew it-!"

The jerk from the car behind them in the turning lane proved so forceful, it pushed the two teens into the middle of the road ahead. Shocked, Silver glanced to his friend, hoping he was okay. But fluorescent lights that surrounded Gold's head, coming through his side of the car, made Silver freeze.

"Silver?"

The sensation of flying through the air felt almost relaxing, until the car hit the ground again, upside down.

The realization of what happened didn't occur to him until he saw the red liquid meshing with his naturally red hair.

The pain didn't hit him until the grey-eyed boy noticed that his usually talkative friend was finally quiet.


	3. Run

_As soon as he caught his breath, the silver light reigniting in his eyes, the wounded boy couldn't help but let them wander around the vehicle. Everything was so cramped, tightly packed, and along with the current situation, it made it hard for him to breath._

_"Gold!"_

_The small amounts of doctors held him down, attempting to calm him with words that meant nothing. Not now._

_"Where is he? Is he alright? T-This is all my fault!"_

_But their answers never satisfied him. How was everything "alright"? How was everything going to be "just fine"? Why did they think that he cared whether or not he himself was alright?_

_Why did they keep ignoring his main question?_

_It finally hit him when he saw the other gurney in front of him, behind the doctors. It hit him when he saw that whatever – whoever – lay on the gurney was covered with a light blue sheet._

_It hit him when he caught sight of a badly bruised arm, just peeking out of the sheet enough to meet the red-haired boy's sight._

_"N-NO! GOLD!"_

_All of a sudden, his heart raced, his eyes watered. With eyes blurry, throat dry, heart aching, stomach flipping, mind black, he screamed._

_"GOLD, I'M SORRY," he screamed, tears now streamed down his battered face, ignoring the shooting pain in his head, "Oh man, I'm sorry! I'm-"_

_I'm sorry…_

* * *

He couldn't help the migraine he woke up with that morning. It didn't help that he'd occasionally have that same dream. It didn't help that now, three years later, he couldn't forget the very night he let his closest friend die.

Not only that night, but the night before, had he dreamed of that hurtful period. He could still remember the day of the funeral, how the air was tense and the sky gray, the gold sun failing to penetrate the sorrowful covering. How just before grabbing his jet-black suit, he punched the wall out of frustration, knowing fully well that it would hurt. He couldn't avoid the fact that once he stood before the grave of his closest friends, fellow classmates glanced at him, wondering how he could be so careless, wondering why _he_ wasn't the one dead.

But he couldn't change it.

He could still remember the time when all of a sudden, something overwhelmed him, pushing his almost literally towards the forest that grew adjacent to the cemetery. How everyone had stared at him, aghast that he, as his closest companion, even dared to leave the funeral at such a crucial moment. He couldn't help the feeling of embarrassment that took over him as Gold's own mother stared at him, wide-eyed, wondering why he would kill her son, and wander off, leaving him for dead.

But he couldn't change it. He _had_ to go.

And running like his life depended on it, running while ignoring the sweat that grew on his forehead, ignoring the formality of his dress, the red-haired boy could still remember when he heard the leaves of the forest ground crunching in front of him. How he looked up to the source, and how he tried not to cry when he saw that familiar, wild raven hair. He could remember how when he saw what the boy still wore, his once-empty heart began to hurt. He couldn't run away or cringe when he saw that it could be no one else but him, seeing that the apparition's eyes held that same gold happiness.

And he remembered his promise, the one he'd never break. Every week, every day, when the sun began to set, he would visit Gold, no matter what. This, Silver vowed to never break.

Because he was all that Silver had left.

Now, memories rushing through his aching head, Silver crawled out of bed, realizing that the clock on his wall read 10:23. Grabbing his uniform shirt, his silver eyes scanned a large chart of which contained daily estimate times for the sunset, depending on the time of year. Giving a "hmpf", he ran out the door, taking in the usual sight of the morning sky.

The gravestones protruding out the ground never seemed so lonely before, especially on a morning like this one. The sun shone, but it didn't really matter. Today would be just like every other day.

"Geez, wake up, you guys," Silver scoffed, looking at the two teens lying underneath the giant oak tree of the cemetery, "seems like some dog dug a hole next to the mausoleum." Finally jumping up at the sound of two shovels thrown on the floor, the two teens glanced up at the cold Silver and got up reluctantly.

"Aww, come on Silver," the dark haired boy yawned, lifting his bright red hand to scratch his head, "not before breakfast!" Silver only rolled his eyes at the lazy boy's excuse, causing his unusually hyper friend to butt in, retorting an excuse of his own.

"You see," the other blond-haired, pearly-eyed boy stated, "if he doesn't get his food before vigorous activity, he may faint on the spot. And you don't want that on your hands, now do you?"

Silence. And Silver walked off.

The blond boy sighed before picking up one of the shovels on the ground. "Come on, Dia. Let's get this over with."

Not ignoring the pain in his stomach, Dia pouted. "But Pearl!"

"Just come on, Diamond! I want that food, too!"

* * *

Meanwhile, with a shovel over his own shoulder, Silver weaved in out of the rows and rows of graves. He passed Gold's grave twice, sternly examining that it hadn't been vandalized overnight. Ever since Gold's death and the excruciating guilt that came with it, the red-haired boy gave up whatever dreams he had considered for his own future, eventually becoming the caretaker for the cemetery in which Gold, along with his parents, were buried. Seeing that he'd killed his own friend, he was scared to leave, thinking he might hurt others in the future. However, although he may not have thought highly of most of them, Silver never intentionally wanted to hurt people.

He was able to still see him, _talk_ to him, just like they used to. Although no one else could, he could still ask him for advice and help with his life, when he knew he was utterly lost. He could still yell at Gold for being stupid, scoff at him for being slow, just like he always had.

Nothing had changed.

_**Scratch scratch scratch…**_

Exhaling loudly, Silver whipped his head around to see someone rubbing a gravestone. Walking over, Silver was surprised that the brown-headed culprit never turned around to face him.

"Sorry, rubbing's not allowed." The stranger chuckled before turning around, revealing his familiar, bright green eyes. Shaking his head subtly, the man shoved a hand into one of his pant pockets. All the while, Silver's expression never fazed as he noticed that as the brunette stood up off the dirty earth, his pants never retained any filth.

"Wow, someone sounds official," the 'stranger' stated, smirking at the red-haired boy, who answered with a shrug and a small smile. "Even after three years, I guess some people never change." Silver chuckled, half-heartedly. The natural sounds of the earth filled the awkward atmosphere as the green-eyed man hesitated before speaking again.

"…I heard about Gold. I'm sorry I couldn't make it for the funeral."

Silver shook his head, hands awkwardly gripping the shovel over his shoulder. "Well Green, some things can't be helped."

"Yeah…", Green replied, looking up to the sky. At that moment, he looked flawless. "Did you see when they brought Red down?"

Silver shivered slightly, nodding solemnly. "Yeah. The funeral was two days after my birthday." Green nodded, now quiet.

"Yeah well, some things just can't be helped."

* * *

"Dia, come here!"

Throwing his shovel on the ground next to his now-sweaty red cap, said boy obeyed, walking over to where Pearl stood behind the mausoleum. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

Pearl's blond head peeked over the side of the mausoleum once more, this time, staring at his red-headed superior. "Do you see what I see?"

"…I see Silver..?"

Pearl sighed. "Well duh, but can you see who he's talking to?" Diamond leaned forward a bit more before shaking his head.

"Wha-he's talking to himself again! Why would he do that?" The other boy huffed, standing up straight once more with arms crossed. It seemed, by the look on his face, that he'd come to a conclusion.

"He's doing it again," he started, concerned, "last time he talked to the air, I saw him crying. You don't think he's…._crazy_, do you?"

Diamond glanced at Silver, who still talked with no one around, one last time before shaking his head, a smile on his face. "Naw. Silver's got a lot on his shoulders. He needs to let it out somehow."

* * *

His silver eyes met up with the man's green ones. "I wish I'd gone with you guys…" For once, Green didn't respond with a chuckle or a scoff; for once, he was silent.

"No, you don't, "he started. "Mount Silver overpowered him, the both of us. We were so close…but anyways, I digress." Stepping backwards, Green glanced up as the sun peeked through the clouds, shining as it hadn't done in a few days. "Seems like I've gotta go, man."

"…You don't have to go right away…"

This time, Green laughed, almost as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, as if he knew there truly was something better, waiting for him. "I feel like something's calling me." Silver sighed, trying not to express the pain in his heart again. He'd lost them.

"I'll tell Red you said 'hi', yeah?" And before Silver could protest, Green started walking towards a certain grave, his grave, and just as the sun blinded his silver eyes, Green disappeared, gone.

This time, Silver prayed that Blue was somewhere safe, still alive. _Alive_. Because at that moment, it ws hard for him to tell if _he_ was still breathing.

Looking up at the sky, the boy cursed under his breath upon seeing the setting sun. He began to run, despite the yells of the two other teens behind him. It wasn't until he heard an unusually feminine yell that he stopped, dead in his tracks.

"Hey!" That voice sounded somewhat familiar…. "What's up with the dead flowers around my dad's grave?" Silver turned towards the source of the voice; his eyes widened when he saw that the outburst had come from a young girl, about his age, kneeling on the grassy ground before a gravestone. Her knees were skinned and dirtied from the earth, as she glared at the red-head, her eyes softening in a matter of seconds. And as he gawked at her sandy brown hair, pulled back in ponytails, and her chocolate brown orbs, he didn't realize that she, too, gawked back.

"I was hoping you'd, y'know…get some flowers growing back here," she stated again, motioning to the space around her father's grave, meeker than before. "It'd…It'd mean a lot to me…"

Shaking his head slightly, the boy closed his silver eyes, collecting his thoughts. "Um, yeah… sorry. That's my fault."

She nodded, standing up, her pigtails bouncing from the movement of her head. "Well….thanks."

"I'll get on it soon….", Silver trailed off, staring at her for a few more seconds before realizing the time. Waving slightly, he ran off towards the woods, feeling the curious stare of the shy girl going through his back. He couldn't help but flinch as he thought about it. He'd have to ask Gold about why he felt like this.

And as she watched him sprint to the shade of the woods, Lyra couldn't help but wonder why the silver-eyed boy hadn't remembered her.


	4. Breath

She wondered why he couldn't remember her; why, it had only been three years ago. It had only been one thousand and ninety two days since he'd sat next to her, wondering why physics was even necessary to complete high school. It had only been one hundred and fifty six weeks since she'd occasionally glance at him, only to find that her heart completely flipped when she saw him staring back at her. It had only been thirty six months since she couldn't help that feeling that grew inside of her whenever she saw him, whether it was in the classroom, or mourning over the death of his friend.

Yet, it only twenty seconds had passed since she whispered his name, breathless. Only fifteen seconds had gone away since she resisted the painful urge to follow him, talk to him, assure his that she was still here, _always _here; even though it had been only four seconds since his figure left her sight, she could only tell herself that he had changed.

And once he ran, she knew it was only pointless to stand in the same spot, stupidly staring after something she could have changed in mere minutes. Looking to the sky, Lyra huffed to herself, bending down to tie the loose shoestrings dangling from her feet. The rain still loomed far from their small town; presenting her with the time she so wanted.

With one last glance to the billowing forest behind her, Lyra decided to save him for another day.

Maybe then, he'd remember.

* * *

The man besides her had already given up attempting to continue his informative lecture towards her; seeing her dreamy expression already spoke to him in ways no words could have. With the music playing from the radio, he should have known much better than to even think of getting a few sentences into her head. Taking off the sweatband from his head, the blond man sighed, grabbing his coffee into one hand while the other held firmly to the steering wheel.

The young brunette girl, on the other hand, perched her head on top of her hands, her eyes scanning every detail of the world outside, from the permanent, grassy hills to the deep blue of the ocean, to the suddenly swooping robin in the sky. Although still far off, the signs of the storm began to take its toll as the trees began to billow, waves growing.

"The waves should be huge by now." The blond man exhaled his disagreement.

"You'd better not even imagine going out in these conditions," he stated, weaving into the turning lane. "One wipeout and you'd be swept away at sea, you know."

Pulling at her pigtails in frustration, Lyra whined. "Come on, Morty! You know, you _know_ I need practice before the tournament. Today, it's like the waves are challenging me, _calling_ to me-" Morty snorted as the first few raindrops fell onto the windshield.

"So you're telling me that it wouldn't be your fault if you died out there?"

"Of course it would! I'm just saying that-." Lyra paused, collecting her thoughts. Smiling, she looked back at her coach. "Mortimer-"

**_"Morty."_**

"_Morty_," Lyra giggled, "I'm not eight anymore. I'm not some newbie who can barely balance on that board! You know better than anyone else that when worst comes to shove, I'd surf my ass out and be absolutely fine. Plus! I need the practice; the tournament's in only a week, and, let's face it: I kinda suck right now."

"…Which is why you're not surfing out there at the moment." Despite the young girl's constant whining and pleading, Morty was settled on his decision. "Like you said, you have a week, and, knowing you, you'll be fine in time for that contest." He smiled; Lyra pouted.

"What if-"

"Nope."

"Not even-"

"Mmm-mmm." Morty shook his head, driving into the apartment complex in which Lyra resided. "And don't even think about leaving before tomorrow."

The girl rolled her eyes, grabbing her backpack and opening the passenger's door. "Whatever, Mortimer." She jumped out just in time to avoid Morty's reminder about his name. Closing the door behind her, she walked about seven steps before hearing her surfing coach drive away, followed by the boom of distant thunder.

Looking at the sky, the bright eyed woman felt a twinge in her gut, a twinge of happiness, seeing that the sky was only painted half grey; she still had time.

Why couldn't Morty see that if he intended her to get better, she'd need to challenge herself, experience new challenges whenever and however they popped up in her life?

As she slipped on her board shorts and grabbed the giant surfboard from her car, she wondered why she was so determined to win; if she intended to win, she'd have to face the waves.

If she intended on beating the incoming rain, she knew she'd have to listen to her instinct and run, run towards the ocean that lay only a few minutes from her.

Lyra knew, as she swam into the vast ocean ahead, board underneath of her, that if she intended on finding herself, she'd have to take the risk.

* * *

"You know what kinda sucks," Gold started, flipping his hair obnoxiously, "Your mom can still make that badass lasagna, and I can't eat it."

"All you can think of at this time is food?"

"…Yeah."

"Shut up, Gold." The red-haired boy had meant this to the full of his extent, of course; however, he'd finished it with a laugh. Around him, he finally felt like someone understood him again. He felt like everyone changed for the worse after that day that left scars in everybody's memories, with glances slowly turning into stares, and later into glares. The blame still weighed heavily on Silver's now-tired shoulders.

Looking to the sky, his silver eyes narrowed at the loud noise from his empty stomach. Attempting to hide the noise, he placed a firm hand on his stomach, causing the gold-eyed boy to smirk.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who agrees~!"

Silver huffed, throwing the pebble in his hand out of frustration, where it unexpectedly hit the now-agitated teen in front of him. "Seriously," he started, "what is it with you and _trying_ to hurt me?" The silver-eyed boy only sighed, rolling his eyes once more as he reached out towards the ground, expecting to grab yet another stone.

"I don't understand it."

"Don't understand what, compadre?"

He almost hesitated, honestly, about admitting something that he'd been wrong about all along. "I don't know…life, I guess." Despite his lying, Gold nodded, chuckling.

"Ah, so this is another one of _those _discussions, huh?" Quiet. Fiddling with the chain on his wrist, Gold motioned over to his friend. "Lemme see your hand, man."

"What?"

"Geez, just let me see it!" Grabbing Silver's hand, the raven-haired boy finally managed to place the chain that was once on his wrist into his friend's hand. Upon seeing the boy's confused expression, he merely pointed once again to a small clock charm on said bracelet. "Crys gave it to me the day of graduation. Apparently a clock to her means "life"". He chuckled. "But anyways, to me, I think it means that no matter what crazy shit happens, life keeps going, whether you like it or not. And obviously, you're not liking that fact, dude." Silver rolled his eyes, playing with the small charm.

"Obviously, there must be some kind of reason that I died before you; you just gotta find that reason. And when the time comes, it just comes." Glancing up from the small clock charm, Silver never knew that he could speak so deeply. But then again, Gold was a person too.

"So I hope that helps with your life problems!" Fidgeting in his place on the boulder, Silver almost grinned. "Uh….yeah." It might have almost worked, if his gold-eyed friend was completely stupid.

"Um…no! Come on, you can tell ol' Gold! I don't judge!"

"Nah, it's okay. Maybe next time."

"Come on, come on! I'm dead, Silver! What the hell am I gonna do to ya'?" Ignoring his last comment, Silver looked to the gray clouds in the sky; mixed with the purple and pink of the sunset, they covered half of the rainbow-painted sky.

"How about I tell you next time, when I'm not starving and running from the rain?" Gold narrowed his eyes, but reluctantly agreed to his friend's statement.

"Fine, man. But I swear to God, if you forget, I'll be haunting you for life."

Silver forced a small smile onto his face, turning and preparing to race the elements. "You already are, Gold."

And when he looked back one more time, the raven-haired boy disappeared for the day.


	5. Count

****Author's note****

**(OKAY I don't know why it's doing that i random thing, but let me assure you, I AM pressing ctrl at the same time XD Alright…let's see how this chapter works out…-_-)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, or the plot, for that matter. The plot is based on the movie "Charlie St. Cloud"…or the book. Either one )**

* * *

The walk back "home" was a lonely one; although not usually as lonely for the silver-eyed boy, today seemed to prove differently. Hands in his pockets, downcast eyes, he walked without emotion, with his only mission to make it to shelter before the rain kicked in. Yet today, even _that_ felt somewhat too daunting of a task; his legs felt like lead.

_...I'll be haunting you forever._

Those words still raced through his mind, echoing inside as he cringed at every word. How was it that Gold never mourned his own death, his own permanent separation from the earthly world, when Silver himself couldn't let him go? Why was it "fun" to be dead in his friend's gold eyes while in his own silver eyes, the thought hurt him more than anything else, even after these three years?

These same thoughts ran over his head for the next few hours as he ate dinner alone, overhearing how a certain Lyra Hart was expected to compete in next week's surfing tournament. They ran through his mind as he went to bed that night, alone, wondering why that name he overheard was so familiar to him. The thoughts haunted him for the next few hours, next few days, until finally, he realized that he couldn't figure out the answer s to his questions on his own.

The rain kept on coming, day in and day out. And everyday seemed to replay itself; Silver would imagine his next move every day, he was so predictable. The only surprising part came when Gold would open his mouth to speak, letting whatever was in his mind run out. It was always something new, although occasionally uncalled for. But Gold was still Gold, dead or alive.

And it was that thought that always killed Silver.

Today, the rain had come before the setting of the sun, allowing Silver to leave the cemetery earlier than usual in order to get to shelter more quickly. The overcast sky was painted slate, with a few puffy, white spots here and there. The primary drizzle slowly grew harder and harder with each passing second, and the red-haired boy's hands trembled as the drops landed with great strength on the umbrella overhead. And although the umbrella managed to keep most of the rain out, a few passing drops managed to sneak their way underneath, into the boy's hair, face, eyes.

Nobody walked in the rain today; it just proved to be too hard for them. The sidewalk was empty, and soil from the grass began to make its way towards the street besides him. The sound of the pitter-patter of the rain all around him soothed his troubled soul, although not completely. The nature around Silver calmed him.

But his silver eyes glanced upwards at a figure walking hastily a little while ahead of him, a large surfboard over their head. Barefoot, with nothing but dark-blue board shorts and a tight black shirt, the girl's long pigtails drooped because of their wetness. Taking notice of her dirty feet, it seemed as though she'd been running through the muddy sidewalk for a little while now. Silver sighed, not taking the few seconds to realize who ran before him, as he quickened his pace subconsciously. Finally reaching the wet girl, the boy knocked on the surfboard, making the brunette peek out from underneath. Her chocolate eyes widened.

"Ah- Silver!" The girl chuckled, lowering her surfboard upon seeing the umbrella he held. Silver forced himself to raise an eyebrow; although he remembered her from the cemetery, he refused to admit that he didn't know her name. Upon seeing his troubled face, the girl's smile slowly fell into a look of dissatisfaction and defeat.

"You don't remember," she stated, not asked. Before she could leave the dry shelter of his umbrella, Silver spoke up.

"O-Of course I do," he faltered. "You're…that girl from the cemetery." He was surprised to hear her chuckle this time. "I got…I got those flowers planted, the ones you wanted-"

"Yup, still the same…" Hastening her step, she quickly walked out from underneath the umbrella, once again lifting the board over her head in order to shield herself from the rain; thus, leaving Silver speechless. It tore Silver's insides, knowing that he was powerless to hold back his words around this…girl.

"Wait!" Although the pig-tailed girl kept on her way, she managed to slow down just a bit. Silver gulped; it was like he'd lost his thoughts for a moment, lost his breath; something he hadn't done since Gold's death. "You're Lyra..?" Seeing her hands, urging him to go on, a whole treasure-trove exploded in his mind; although the memories were few, they returned to him altogether. And upon realizing, his eyes widened, realizing exactly _who_ she used to be to him, when he was still so young and naïve. "…from…", he gulped again, collecting his words, "…from Chemistry!"

"Actually, Physics, but I guess that's close enough."

Apparently, he'd hit the nail on the head; he'd never seen a smile so large, in fact, it even challenged Gold's. Even though the rain still hit his umbrella with force and clouded up his vision a bit, it was like everything had been somewhat illuminated in front of him. Letting off a relieved sigh, she giggled before, once again, meeting the confused boy underneath the umbrella, her arms gently holding the board at her side.

"And to think," she began, "you didn't remember me at all!" Silver only muttered; his attention was plastered on the shoulder that occasionally brushed his own; although not always glancing back at it, he could still feel it. Standing next to another human, especially in these weather conditions, he felt warm, and he liked it. His usually-focused attention was now lost, beyond his grasp, as he tried to look down to the ground, only to see her bare feet. Eventually, he even let his eyes wander up those feet, to her ankles, knees… _No, oh God, no_

The whole walk was awkward; two awkward people in an awkward situation. Oh, how the silver-eyed boy longed to speak to her, ask her how she'd been, ask her if she ever found anyone that suited _her_, but he held himself back. The other side of him held his emotions in chains, chains that had been present ever since, and even before, Gold's death. It was because of his wants and carelessness that he'd lost someone so close, he told himself constantly, and it was that carelessness and desire that he'd logged away, hidden to the rest of the world and eventually, himself.

"Ah," Lyra spoke up, finally, "my apartment's right there…" Turning to the red-haired boy, she placed a warm hand on his soaking shoulder. "Thanks again, Silver. After the contest, we'll catch up?" Silver nodded halfheartedly as her hand left his shoulder.

His shoulder was hot, the spot where she held it _burned_ him from the inside out. The heat made him want to jump, run around in endless circles, throw his umbrella and scream into the rain. As he saw her adjust her board, pull down her shirt, he _knew_ he'd gone crazy. He had to have! Was it even possible for a normal human to feel this way? It couldn't be; Gold would have hopefully mentioned it before….or would he? Would he have mentioned that emptiness in his chest, the pain in his gut, his dryness of tongue?

"Lyra!" He didn't know why her name had slipped out, and so loud too. Hearing her voice, her surfboard lowered despite the rain, said girl whirled around, surprise written all over her. Silver stood there, arguing with himself until his eyes met hers. He knew it. He'd catch up with her **_today._**

"We could, you know," he stuttered, not knowing where to begin, "w-we could catch up over….food, or something…" The brunette remained silent, staring, tugging on a pigtail. Silver panicked; _of course she wouldn't want to, idiot. She's spoken only three sentences to you! Why would she?_

He heard her chuckle. "Dinner, you mean?" Silver nodded, vigorously, almost desperately. Her smile fell as her petite hand grabbed onto one of her soaked pigtails.

"Silver…" Lyra dragged on, pulling hard on her pigtail, a pained expression on her face, "my surfing thing's in five days…I need the practice and…yeah."

He couldn't take it. He couldn't let her go now; he never had her to begin with. That burning, familiar loneliness built up, stored up inside of him until he knew what he wanted. He had never wanted something so badly before, because this time, he knew that he _needed_ it.

"J-Just dinner, I promise!" Now, Silver held the surprise, along with the girl in front of him. Who knew that this half hour of trudging along in the rain could reawake such locked away memories? Scratching his neck, Silver wondered why it had happened now. Lyra twisted and fidgeted in her spot.

"I hope you still cook as well as you used to say…" Silver didn't even take time to process her threat, he nodded so quickly. The nod was almost as desperate as before. "Yeah!"

"M'kay…."she stated, her chocolate brown eyes staking out the ground intently. Meeting his eyes once again, she smiled. "Why not?" _Yeah, why not?_

Silver's thoughts froze; whatever he panicked about before instantly left him as he heard those two words. Now, now he panicked about other subjects. Not too experienced in the subject of the female being, Silver proved clueless on how he was supposed to impress and please this girl.

"So wait, at my house?" Silver asked, nervously. Lyra rolled her eyes over dramatically.

"Well, didn't you say you knew how to cook?" _Oh, right._

Waving awkwardly, the girl bounced up the stairs to her apartment room while Silver stood there in the rain. He never noticed how nice she looked as her hips swayed naturally with each step she took. It was only then that he came to realize how much he'd missed in his three years of solitude. But then again, he probably hadn't missed much.

* * *

"Aww man, Silver! And you didn't wanna tell me!" Silver cringed at the words shouted from the apparition's mouth, glancing at him as he paced back and forth nervously. Silver rolled his eyes. Gold jumped on the nearby rock, playing with the hat he'd grown so accustomed to. "I SO would've helped you out! I mean, we still talk and stuff! And I know Lyra like the back of my hand!"

While Gold jabbered incessantly, the silver eyed boy picked up his pace. "I know, which is why I didn't tell you in the first place…"

"Anyways," Gold continued, falling on his back on the soft ground, "you have to, HAVE TO, make the food yourself. Girls like that for some reason."

_Crap_

"Second, you gotta wear something different than you always do! That black jacket'll make her run, trust me." Silver eyed his jacket, wondering what in the world could possibly be wrong with it. Looking back up, his expression said it all.

"Thirdly!" Gold paused, collecting his thoughts. Looking up to Silver, who stared at him with a waiting expression, he swallowed. "Thirdly….uh, be yourself?"

"Seriously, Gold. I could've thought of that on my own!" He was panicking. Now he knew he'd gone crazy. He didn't think it was possible that a human being could feel this much stress without _bursting_ on the spot. The feeling felt so intense, so overwhelming, he was almost certain he'd faint on the spot.

"Woah man," Gold said, throwing his hands up in desperation, "no need to get all PMS-y on me."

The red-haired boy sighed, plopping down on the giant rock besides the cautious Gold. Head in his hands, he breathed. "It's just…"

"…just…?"

"Just…I don't know. I thought you'd be the one, out of all people, to give me a heads up about this kind of stuff." And it was true, too. "I can almost count the hours, the minutes, until I embarrass myself. And when I do," he sighed, "she'll be gone. Gone for a month or God knows how long."

Gold, awkwardly patting his companion on the back, sighed. "You'll do fine, man. You always make it through somehow." He'd never witnessed his friend so nervous, and he knew Silver needed this. He needed something to live for, because now, Gold wasn't always there to push him onwards like he used to. But at the same time, he remained hesitant, actually thinking the whole situation out for once.

He was almost afraid to countdown when the sunset arrived every day, for he feared that when he reached zero, Silver wouldn't show up. He was afraid that one of these days, Silver would give up on him, leave him for dead, leave him for **_Lyra_**. But he convinced himself that this was nothing more than a schoolboy crush; Silver didn't know what he was talking about, did he?

At that same moment, the raven-haired boy shivered at the thought of the cold that waited for him on the other side of the spectrum, feeling that with every passing day, it was tugging on his sleeve. He couldn't go, not alone. So he cleared his throat, catching Silver's attention.

"You're coming back tomorrow, right?"

Silver stared at him. "When _haven't_ I come back?" Gold only shrugged his shoulders, muttering something unintelligible. Silver threw a rock. "Come on, Gold. You're such a baby sometimes. I will come back, and you can count on it. Besides, I haven't broken a promise, have I?"

Now thinking about it, Gold realized that he hadn't. Not yet, and hopefully, not ever. Seeing Silver's relief, Gold only pressed upon the subject once more.

"Well, you know, you seemed so excited about your date-"

"_DINNER_"

"_Dinner_", Gold corrected himself, "that I thought you'd totally forget, so I'm just making sure…" He trailed off, looking to the twilight sky. Silver contemplated on the words spoken.

"Remember, I'm still your friend whatever you do…"

"Mmhmm…"

Silence.

"But I still expect you to keep that promise…"

"I know, Gold."

Silence.

"…'Bros before Hoes-'"

"God, Gold, I KNOW!"

And Silver couldn't help but let a small smile slip onto his face as he closed his eyes. Gold fiddled with his fingers before looking to the side.

"It's getting late, you know." Silver nodded. Getting up, he faced Gold once more. "I'll stop by before she comes, okay? Happy?"

Gold smiled, the setting sun hitting his forever white teeth. "Happiest camper **EVER**!" Sitting up on the rock, he nodded towards Silver, who ran towards the cemetery to inspect the rain damage. His gold eyes could only stare after his friend, sad, knowing that this couldn't last forever.

In the end, it would be Silver who'd leave _him_ alone.


	6. Time

His watch read 6:45.

The day before, she said she'd come by 7:00.

And now, he had only minutes to dress himself, to ready himself, to run by to Gold for last minute pointers that he'd surely need. His face heated up, nervous, as his silver eyes met the gold-red setting sun; the sight gripped at his heart.

Nothing was ready, nothing was _set_. No food sat on the table, no decent clothes on his back, and right now, he even questioned the amount of sanity that he still held. All of this for one dinner.

He promised himself that he wouldn't mess this up. He promised himself that he'd catch up to her, even though he couldn't fathom as to _why_ he'd want to.

At the same time, he promised Gold, promised to see him every day at the same time, that he wouldn't forget about him, no matter what. He _promised_ it, and he'd yet to have broken it.

Yet, as light knocking on his door reached his ears, his eyes widened, and thoughts of that promise slipped away instantly. In his mindset, he hoped Gold would forgive him, hoped he'd understand.

Besides, one time couldn't hurt.

* * *

His gold eyes never left the horizon, never. He sat there, hat in hand, for a solid forty-five minutes, and not once did he even consider leaving before he saw that annoyed, angst-filled teen walking up to him, his metallic-gray eyes hiding back the happiness that this boy had never, yet longed, to see.

Finally, Gold stood up, angrily wiping away a stray tear that slid halfway down his face, before letting it fall. Over the years, he'd slowly grown mature; yet at that moment, that wall of maturity that he slowly built over the years began to chip away, tear by tear.

It wasn't the fact that the silver-eyed boy failed to show up that killed him. The fact that Silver had "forgotten" to come wasn't what made him shiver. It wasn't the fact that he'd broken his first promise, no. In fact, any other normal person would have forgotten the fact that their friend had blown them off for one day, hoping with a heavy heart that they would never do it again.

But obviously, Gold wasn't normal.

What hurt the most was the fact that the first promise Silver broke was a promise to his closest friend; his _first_ friend. All for a dinner.

All for a girl.

* * *

She came early. Why is it that girls must come early, especially when, in their mindset, they're "fashionably late"? By now, this nervous wreck had given up on making edible food, ultimately causing him to quickly run by to the nearby town of Mahogany where he speedily picked up something decent. Throwing the small, navy-blue cloth over the only table in the room, anxious silver eyes constantly glanced at the door, where heavy knocking became even heavier. Assuring his persistent guest that he'd be there in a minute, his hands quickly grabbed two glasses and silverware, throwing them, too, on the small wooden, but neatly adjourned table before running to the door. Praying that he left the food in the oven for warmth, the red-head (and now, red-_faced_) boy turned the knob of the door with a slight shiver.

Instead of that glowing, outgoing smile he'd receive before, he noticed a timid smile on the girl's soft features. Silver could hardly recognize her with her bright red shirt and blue skirt; white knee-highs and red ballet flats completed her ensemble. However, the boy sighed with relief when he took notice of the pigtails that remained glued to her brunette head. Shaking his head ever so slightly, Silver forced a small smile, hoping it wasn't too "creepy", as Gold used to tell him.

"I'm surprised you found this place." Silver's eyes glanced at the girl briefly. Lyra chuckled.

"I ran into an old classmate along the way, and he told me he visited you not to long ago, so I went from there!" Silver could only stand in the doorway, attempting to remember who had visited him in the last few days, weeks, months…

"Oh," he jumped, upon realizing he still blocked the entrance to the house. Moving aside slightly, Lyra timidly made her way inside and placing her small purse on the counter. The boy's mind raced as he slowly closed the door behind her, thinking his night out step by step. Meanwhile, the hyper active girl waltzed around the home, any hints of shyness decimated. The boy's silver eyes tracked her every graceful move as she slowly slipped around every aspect of the room, examining everything she could, and in little time, too. Before he knew it, the pigtailed girl stopped suddenly in front of a small photo frame. Silver flinched; becoming so accustomed to that spot, Silver felt the impending question.

"It was a drunk driver," Lyra stated solemnly, "wasn't it?" The boy remained quiet as she slowly placed the frame of the two gold and silver eyed teens down. The air tightened around the two, now awkwardly standing in their spots. The brunette girl coughed.

"So, I saw the flowers the other day," Lyra started awkwardly, pulling on her pigtail like it was a drug. "You know, the ones by my dad's grave? Calla Lilies are my favorites, you know." Silver chuckled to himself, shrugging with a small ghost of a smile planted on his face.

"No problem."

Wanting to take in what Lyra's eyes looked like now, Silver subtly glanced upwards quickly. Although he told himself that he wouldn't stare, no matter how "captivating" she looked, he couldn't help himself, for at the moment, her face twisted into a peculiar expression, her eyes looking around frantically.

"Is something….burning?" _Oh shit, shit, shit…_ "SHIT!," Silver blurted out subconsciously, regardless of Lyra's somewhat pure ears. Heart pounding, he threw the red hair out of his eyes, examining the now-black lasagna in the oven. His heart dropped; he was hopeless. Grabbing the scorching pan out of the oven, the boy tossed it in the trash, banging his head against the counter as he fell to the ground. Not even an hour had passed, and he felt as tired as ever. His head pounded already, and the clock only read 7:10.

A warmth, a familiar warmth, touched his shoulder, causing him to glance up slowly. The girl smiled down at him, a pitying look on her face. It seemed as though she wanted to burst out into laughter, but Silver assumed that her kindness held her back. The light of the sunset hit her face in such a way that she gave off warmth and light, and the boy with the silver eyes forced himself to look away.

"It's alright," she started, grinning, "I'm sure I can survive off of just salad." Thank God.

The air tensely lingered as the two sat at the small table, Silver hardly eating, merely watching, as the girl, Lyra, devoured every shred of food on her plate. And yet, her face always held a sort of dissatisfaction, a hunger she could never fill. Even as soon as the food was gone, Lyra glanced around, pouting at how rapidly the small amount of food disappeared. Seeing the boy's curious silver eyes, the girl could only chuckle nervously.

Seeing how the boy slowly smirked at her actions, watching how he merely took her plate from in front of her, admiring how every time he passed that one picture frame, he'd acknowledge it with grace, made Lyra hate her coach's words to her a few days earlier. Observing the boy she'd known and never forgotten for three years forced her to throw away Morty's accusations towards Silver; he'd called Silver crazy, and she herself doubted that statement right away.

Looking away quickly when he finally caught her glance, she decided that Morty was wrong.

"So…", Silver trailed off quietly to himself, huffing in annoyance, avoiding her curious gaze, "…what now…?" Lyra 'humph'-ed, looking around the small home anxiously, praying that she'd find something that would interest him, for she need not worry about her own self when everything about the boy, even his home, amazed her already. Upon finding a small piece of a paper pinned up on the wall, she tilted her head and walked over to the spot. Opening it up, she found that the paper in fact was a world map. The brunette girl's eyes lit up.

"Hey! Why didn't I ever tell you where I was going for the surfing tournament?"

Silver deadpanned, his expression as cold as steel. "I never asked…"

"…Oh…BUT I know you were just _dying _to know, right?" And Silver never answered; he didn't want to tell her that she was right. Pinning the map back up, the girl stood back, observing. The red-haired boy, on the other hand, walked up next to her, leaning against the wall and staring at the map, bored expression, all the while forcing himself not to glance at the ambitious girl before him.

"So," Lyra began, oblivious of Silver, "we're leaving from…hmm, the port in Olivine, and we'll be passing the Whirl and Seafoam Islands…"

He ignored her. He completely ignored everything and anything she spoke that concerned her upcoming fiasco with the sea. He refused to listen and accept the fact that she'd be away for so long. At the moment, she was here. And that's where he wanted her to stay.

This time, the boy grew oblivious to Lyra's lack of speaking, realizing that he'd been staring at her the whole time.

"You could always go next year…", Silver stated, interrupting the girl's train of thought. Lyra scoffed at the boy's offer.

"You know," Silver continued, despite the girl's objection, "to catch up more quickly…"

Lyra hesitated; she wanted this tournament. Besides, she'd been training for months with Morty, and like he always said, there was no turning back now.

"Silver, I've been training! There's no turning ba-." By now, the silver-eyed boy had his hands on either side of the wall besides the girl's head. Only now could he look at the girl straight in the eye, even as she stared with surprise back at his.

"You can always train for next year", he whispered, looking down now. Maybe everything was a mistake… He flinched when the pig-tailed girl before him lifted his head with her hand, her warm fingers, forcing him to look at the those deep chocolate brown eyes that lured him into this trap in the first place. But before he knew it, those eyes brought him back in, head-first, into that same state of familiar paralysis.

He couldn't help himself as he slowly leaned his head forward towards hers, almost wincing as she hesitated. But after a while, she gave up. Her breath tickled, and the boy could only wonder how it still smelled so intoxicatingly good. He could feel her timid hands place themselves on his chest, and he could feel their warmth.

And as quickly as he attempted, got so close, _too_ close, he was pushed away, forced back by those timid hands which now wrapped themselves around their owner, who now held that same expression of longing; of something she could never have.

"I can't, Silver….", she whispered to herself, "..Not now…"

He should have known; of course, he didn't. He didn't even know what he was doing in the first place. And as he slammed a fist against the wall, he could only remember:

She didn't even look up before she left.

* * *

Thinking about it now, Lyra pondered; even now, her hopes for the incoming tournament remained strong. Only this time, she realized that maybe, waiting until the following year might now be as bad as she originally thought. Why had she been so determined?

The brunette let down her silky hair, carefully watching the ground as she swiftly walked away from the house of the boy. Over and over again, all she could tell herself was that she still wanted him; seeing his daily loneliness, she came to realize that maybe he needed her, too.

Kilometers away now, she stopped, dead in her tracks. That empty feeling again; but hadn't she just eaten? As her stomach roared, Lyra cringed; when did she become so hungry? Her whole body felt as though something, invisible, pushed her back, not allowing her to pass any farther. Shouldering her small tote, she turned, facing the now-small edifice amidst the trees from which she'd fled, mindlessly.

Ignoring the sudden flash of black and gold from the corner of her eye, Lyra turned around and sprinted back to where she'd run from.

* * *

Gold felt a sense of victory as he saw the brunette girl from his forest protection, walking hastily from his friend's home. His gold eyes sparkled with pride at the thought of the boy who had forcibly rejected the high school girl from his past. He knew, after all, that it was all a mere crush.

In the end, he knew that Silver would never leave _him_ alone.

Yet, his eyes focused once more on the tiny, feminine figure, which now stood still, dead in its tracks. Even from this distance, the raven-haired apparition could make out the troubled expression on her face; what in the world was she thinking?

But when she turned around and sprinted, his stomach turned. When he noticed how determined her stride seemed, his eyes grew cloudy. When he realized how dark the sky turned, his head lowered.

Maybe this time, his red-haired friend purposely forgot him; even so, Gold forced himself to turn his back.

Maybe now, even his only trusted companion couldn't be trusted; even so, Gold forced himself to not look back.

Maybe from now on, he'd be second place; maybe soon, he'd have to face his fate on his own.

Even so, Gold forced himself to keep his eyes dry.

As the sun finally hid itself beneath the horizon, the boy's gold eyes grew dark once again as he disappeared within the forest.

* * *

He hadn't cleaned anything since she left; he forgot his only friend, and now, he had no one.

But when he heard a swift rapping against his door, his metallic eyes focused once again as he jumped up from his seat.

And when he unlocked the door, all he found was a note; _**"Find me!"**_ in little cursive, feminine letters. And for once, he knew what he was doing and he ripped off the note and ran into the chilly, foggy night.

For once, he knew what to do when he caught a glimpse of her silhouette hidden in the mist; her figure danced in and out of the rows of gravestones, waltzing a ghostly waltz.

And when he finally caught her, breathing heavily behind a headstone, she threw herself onto him, her arms wrapping around his torso. When he finally caught her, she caught her breath, and although the mist played with his vision, he could feel the slight heat on his lips.

When he caught her, she whispered.

"You found me."


	7. Lost

**A/N: Watch out guys, this chapter's got _language_ :O Just a little FYI. Alright, I'll stop talking C:**

* * *

A humid, yet cool breeze forced the boy's eyes to flutter, as crimson hair caught his eyes. Sitting up slowly, allowing his body to catch up to his surroundings, his silver eyes focused on a peaceful figure lying beside him; only when he realized who the figure actually turned out to be did Silver jump. The fact that he'd slept under the stars besides this _girl_ hit him harder than the morning sunrise itself. Yet, upon remembering the events of the night, his heart calmed; everything turned out all right in the end.

In the end, he'd caught her, and she found him, despite the overwhelming mist; her lips found his, despite the fogginess. In the end, they sat under the chandelier of stars, illuminating the vast canvas of sky before them, before drawing the girl to a drowsy state. It was only when he felt her head on his chest that the temptation of sleep lured him in as well…

He could only imagine her sparkling, chocolate eyes as she awoke this morning, reminding him of the bright stars in the black sky the night before. How her eyes could illuminate the dark mist around her was beyond him. He imagined her brunette locks intertwining with the dewy, green grass beneath her, growing into new flowers and coloring dead patches of grass with her vivid soul. And when she did awaken, the boy's metallic eyes forced themselves to focus on the sunrise before them as it painted the sky with rosy shades of pink and purple, yellow and orange. Although having just woken up, Lyra sat silently; to Silver, it almost seemed as if she wasn't even there.

The girl slowly rose to her feet, handing back the boy's jacket to its rightful owner and later proceeding to dust off her skirt, now wet from the morning dew.

Silver's eyes widened. "Hey, are you alright?" Curiously staring down at the boy who remained sitting, Lyra nodded as she began to examine her arms, legs. Tilting her head, she questioned him. It was only until he pointed to her head that the girl felt the dripping of liquid, blending into her shirt of equal color.

"Geez," Lyra muttered, staring at the blood on her hands. "Must've been some mosquito… Thanks for not offering any bug-spray, Silver! I could've been saved this misery!"

"W-What?", Silver exclaimed, "It hurts that badly?" Not being familiar with this sort of situation, the gray-eyed boy stood up frantically, running a hand through his hair nervously before hesitatingly examining the girl's head. "H-Here, let me see it-." Lyra laughed and cleaned the blood with a tissue upon witnessing his reactions, causing Silver to jump in hesitation and worry.

"Calm down, buddy," she laughed, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "mosquito bites usually aren't deadly." And as she skipped towards the house, the boy could only watch her, embarrassed.

But she already knew that.

* * *

By now, her watch read 3:15.

Her usually shiny hair didn't shimmer in the sunlight as it had done every day before. However, ignoring that matter, Lyra strode towards her home, a bounce in her step, her mind ruminating on the day's events thus far. She pondered over the boy's defeated face when she told him she had to go practice for today; she smiled when she remembered how his metallic eyes lit up when she assured him she'd be waiting for another dinner tonight, laughed, when he became suddenly nervous. Nevertheless, her hope for tonight was that everything would replay as yesterday; the words, the actions, hell, even the ruined lasagna. She could never be happier.

Looking up to the sky, gray clouds met her eyes, threatening her with the heavy chance of downpour; however, the thought of missing one practice didn't bother her one bit. Surprisingly, the brunette girl smiled, for the gray clouds reminded her of his metallic-gray eyes.

She smiled to herself, until that irreplaceable hunger shot through her stomach, the depths of her gut. It almost hurt more than yesterday.

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, amidst the people walking past her, a sharp pain shot through the "mosquito bite" on her head; upon touching it, her hand became tainted with red.

An elbow to her side from a walking pedestrian indicated that she'd been standing in the middle of the sidewalk for too long. Ignoring the lack of apology, Lyra continued to her home, temporarily enduring the intensity of the pain within her.

She stared incredulously at another person who'd run into her, glaring daggers at their back as they failed to apologize, or even acknowledge her. '_What goes around comes around, I always say'_

Still, another hit in the side, the guilty party ignoring her being there. "Sure," she shouted at their leaving, "No apology to the poor soul who's BLEEDING!"

Even with her shouting, the person ignored her; _everyone _ignored her. Nobody _heard _her, _acknowledged _her, turned their head, no one _listened_, and Lyra stood there, a lump in her throat. '_What the he-?'_

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Whipping her head around to the source of that cocky, familiar voice, Lyra's knees buckled, ultimately causing her body to hit the pavement floor, due to lack of support around her.

After all, she never thought that she'd see eyes that gold ever again.

* * *

At that moment, his clock read 6:32.

Overall, his day consisted of pondering and thinking.

And sweating.

As soon as Lyra left, Pearl and Dia had woken up as well, all set for another day's work. However, they'd asked him numerous questions. _"Are you feeling alright,"_ they'd asked, as well as, "_You like to talk a lot, don't you?"_

"_Hey boss, who were you talking to?"_

All those questions had flown over his head, as he ignored them and set off to his morning work, thinking about the previous night.

And never had he thought that he would have been able to get through the previous night without a certain friend's advice. Yet, the thought of said friend brought shiver's to his spine, making his skin cold and heart pound with nervousness. He didn't want to face his gold-eyed friend. Glancing out the window of his humble abode, the boy merely glanced to the nearby forest.

Placing a hand on the warm coffee cup before him, Silver sighed, running a slightly shaking hand through his hair. He thought of how that girl woke up this morning, looking unfazed by the morning sun; he smiled over how hesitant she was to tell him she needed to practice, laughed, when she was relieved with his response. Nevertheless, his metallic eyes stared into the dark, hot liquid with longing and loneliness. He only wished for the pieces to fall where they may, hopefully replaying the bliss of the night before. However, Silver never had been a boy with much serendipity and luck.

And then the guilt hit him, square in the chest, deep in his stomach. "Shit," he cussed angrily, hopping out of his window seat before hastily throwing an empty coffee cup into the nearby sink. He couldn't miss out on his promise twice in a row; the red-haired boy wasn't even supposed to miss it once. Squinting at the distance between him and the forest, Silver moaned, hoping that God would hold the rain back until after he met with the gold-eyed boy.

Despite the beautiful sunrise that morning, the rain had returned for a second round, getting beyond ridiculous in what seemed like an endless shower. And now, as the silver-eyed boy frantically pushed the damp, auburn-red hair from his face, the water only increased in force and quantity, temporarily blinding his eyes as he sprinted into the slight protection of the forest trees. Looking around at the bleakness of the sky, Silver could only grunt; deep down, he knew the weather would foreshadow what was yet to occur.

He couldn't feel his feet lead him to the small opening in the forest, the familiar boulder he sat on, every day. Yet, upon reaching the spot, his now dark eyes fell upon a crouched figure, sitting on the flat part of the boulder, where _he _would sit daily. Silver swallowed, his mouth suddenly becoming dry, words holding back, for _fear _stopped him for the first time in his life. Nerves ate away at his insides, and yet, he didn't need to think about starting words.

"So, what happened?" Silver stood there, surprised at the casual question coming from the crouched figure, which sat, unaffected by the falling rain. Yet, it still failed to show those glowing gold eyes.

"Uh…what?"

A chuckle resonated from the figure's throat. "You know, the _date_." Still, he hadn't dared turn.

Silver eyes bore into the figure's back; that word rang in his ears. "Good."

"Because, you know," the figure continued, his voice going into unfamiliar hysterics," it must have been pretty fucking important, right!" Now, facing him, Silver realized the glow from his eyes was missing. Without that extra sparkle, his eyes only held onto a sickly yellow shade, almost transparent. "Why can't you _get it-_"

"No, Gold," Silver interrupted, "why can't _you _understand?" He stood there, hesitant, not recognizing the anger in his own voice. But he didn't hold back, not even for his friend. "Weren't you the one asking me day in and day out if I liked her?" Gold remained silent, his eyes wavering for a split second. "To think, you're such a hypocrite."

"Don't call me that-"

"Geez, and to think you'd get so worked up after I missed one day. One **FREAKING **day!"

"DON'T ," he screamed, _screamed_. His transparent, yellow eyes caught him, stared him down without all the anger from before. This time, a rare sadness glazed his eyes, his face, his whole body. "Just…you don't-"

Silver sighed, inwardly praying that this was nothing more than one of the boy's tantrums; the raven haired boy never had grown used to not having things turn out in his benefit, after all. "I promise, I'll be here whenever I can-"

"And how can I trust you now?" Silver eyes downcast; he couldn't answer that. "God, and I thought you never broke a promise, am I right, buddy?"

"You know, you never really kept any of your promises either-"

"Don't pull that shit! That's the worst way to weave around your problems, Silver; by blaming them on _me."_ He didn't want to admit it, that he felt guilty about the day before; nevertheless, the damp, red-haired boy held on to his rage, his anger, for a little while longer.

"Gold, listen to me-"

"Why?"

"Gold, shut up for a second and listen-"

"I don't get you..."

"Oh my God, stop tal-"

"…leaving me for a _girl_ who-"

"JESUS, GOLD! I HAVE A LIFE, YOU KNOW!"

Quiet; only the pitter-patter of the rain accompanied the echo through the forest, dampening the red-haired boy even more; failing to affect the other. The boy took this as an invitation to continue.

"It's because I still have a _**life**_ that I continue with it!" His own words hurt his heart. "And don't fucking drag her into the picture. Nothing'll change. It's got nothing to do with her." His silver-eyes widened at the sound of laughing.

"Oh," Gold laughed, maniacally, "you say this has _nothing_ to do with her, huh? You say, she's an innocent girl, that nothing'll _change _between us as long as she's here, correct?" His face turned dark, as he slowly hopped off the large boulder, pointing a menacing finger, transparent eyes growing shadowy.

"As long as she's here, you'll be following her like a sick puppy," he started, pointing that finger menacingly. "As long as she lives, you'll be in her life."

"And the more you're in her life," he hissed, pausing between a broken breath, "the less you are in mine."

His gold eyes grew even less yellow, almost a sickly color, as his companion stood there, incredulous. "Gold, you're being ridiculous-"

"And the less you are in my life," he whimpered, his voice wavering, "the longer you hold on to her." Red hair blinded Silver as he listened, unbelieving, to his friend's, his "brother's", words. No matter what Gold said, he could never let go of the memories of his past… or so he thought.

"The longer you hold on to her, the less you hold on to me…"

And for the first time, the golden eyed boy turned his back on his friend, walking back into the depths of the forest. For the first time, he'd ignored the frantic shouting of his companion, whose silver eyes held an unfamiliar worry and stress.

And for the first time, he didn't look back.

* * *

He couldn't eat, almost couldn't _breathe, _after being with him. His transparency shook his insides, held his stomach in its twisting grips, until he couldn't bear it any longer. So he ran.

He _ran_.

He ran, not to his own home, full of memories of visits and long talks, but to the small town nearby; he ran to the small restaurant that he practically grew up in. He ran inside and sat himself down on a stool, taking into small account who sat next to him. His wet, red hair hid the expression of pain on his face, the expression of tribulation.

He couldn't choose.

His silver eyes briefly fell upon the man sitting nearby; sandy blonde locks covered his head, a purple headband holding them back. His violet eyes lacked the spark that people normally held, and it seemed as though he hadn't eaten for at least two days. Meeting Silver's equally dull gray eyes, the man turned around to the center of the restaurant, where an unfamiliar, red-haired man had cleared his throat. His demeanor and stature looked intimidating, as he threw off the cape from his back, now soaking with rainwater, and tossed it to an empty stool. Others gathered around to listen, making Silver realize how many people actually lived in the small town.

"As you all know," the man started, his spiky hair dripping, "I've decided to put up a search party for the young girl gone missing." Murmuring began, filling the air with tension. A sharp pain hit Silver's gut. The man raised his hands to the crowd. "Those willing to help in the search, please speak up-." To his request, countless people spoke up, pushing towards the center of the restaurant with anxiety. Silver, to his curiosity, crammed himself into the crowd, slowly pushing his way into the center, where he met with the tall, red-haired man.

"Wait," Silver shouted above the other voices, "who's missing? What happened?" The man, running a hand through his wet hair, hushed the crowd. The boy's silver eyes strained, his stomach ached, and he mentally cursed himself for asking at all; in the end, he didn't want to know. The tall man's demeanor changed, from calm to broken; his eyes became downcast.

"The girl," he started, "Miss Hart."

Silver swallowed, mouth dry; he became dizzy. "L-Lyra?" The man nodded solemnly.

"…She's been missing for three days-"

And he ran, _again._

'_**Are you feeling alright?'**_

And he didn't mind the puddles, splashing his legs, soaking his pants, his legs. The cemetery was empty, gray, from this distance. But in a few seconds, he'd reached the place of the gravestones, the meaningless epitaphs and tombs, the only physical reminders of the dead.

'_**You like to talk a lot, don't you?'**_

And he heard her crying, sobbing, against the floor, her head still bleeding from this morning. Her hair wasn't wet. Her clothes weren't dirty or soiled. All that was soiled were her eyes.

Her brown eyes looked up at him, tears swelling up. "I thought you said you would _find me_."

'_**Hey boss, who were you talking to?'**_

Silver shook his head, falling to the ground. Lyra whimpered, transparent. "You said you would find me!"

And he cried, holding the nothing in his arms.

For the past three days, she was missing.

For the past two days, she was gone.

For the past day, she was lost.

And just like Gold, he had lost her.

She was gone.


End file.
